Argentine Tango - Developing Skills

Weekly Saturday Class 3:00-5:00pm

Starting January 2018

First Hour - Connection and Partnership

(suitable for Beginners required for all second hour students)

Tango is a dance of connection but learning to connect is possilby more difficult than one might imagine.  It is necessary to find a state of calm, but ever-present focus, aware and sensitive.  An appreciation for subtle changes is how the dance develops.  The desire for improvisation can evolve early with the realization of the possibilities emerging from connection.  Advancement is achieved through the development of dissociative skills.

Fees:  $15  Students are welcome to sit and quietly watch the second hour

Second Hour - Complexity through Dissociation

(suitable for experienced social dancers and accomplished students)

Dissociation is achieved from a sound basis in connection, but what exactly is dissociation as it relates to Argentine Tango? 

Each dancer gradually develops strong personal skills in the separation of active and passive movements of their body: Creating tension in muscles that are performing the action, establishing a frame and holding a balanced position, possibly rotating in a pivot, while allowing the unused leg to 'trail' without tension.

In partnership, dissociation extends through the connection.  Each lead affects the follower, who allows her body to respond.  Energy passes between the dancers fluidly.  The complex chain reaction of the leaders compounding movements generates a series of actions through the follower that move not ony her axis, but extends into the use of her dissociative skills by applying twists and arrests.  Each action may eventually be dispelled through the trailing leg with exciting whips, wraps and dramatic sweeps.

Fees:  $20  Students are required to attend the first hour

Fundamentals are FUN

July 2 thru August 27, 2016 -- Saturdays 3:00-4:30pm -- at BDS

All tango is created from walking which sounds simple but the opportunities for complications are limitless. The Fundamentals program is designed to develop and explore a variety of linear and circular moves, transitions and changes in direction. This creative class will accommodate students just starting out as well as students who have taken the basics before.

How to invite or accept a dance opportunity

Optional embraces for different shapes and sizes

Walking forwards or backwards with intention!.... with someone in front of you

Balance and posture

Creating turns and circles from a center point

Working together in a partnership

Switch Roles: If you are accomplished at one role this class would be a great choice if you want to understand how the other side operates

Brush Up:  Great refresher course for dancers of all levels

LOCATION:  Ballroom Dance Supply

SPRING 2016 Weekly Group Class:  Progressive

Day:  Saturday

Time:  3:00-5:00pm

Location:  Ballroom Dance Supply

                4850 Harwood Road

                San Jose, CA 95124

Beginners: 3:00-4:00pm (approx)

Novices and Beginners are encouraged to attend the first hour as participating students, enjoy moving with more experienced dancers and making new acquaintances while acquiring a solid foundation.

Intermediate:  3:00-5:00pm

In the second half students will be building on the foundational portion of the class, pursuing a higher skill set by exploring and studying ever increasing dissociative concepts.

On the cutting edge: Tango Fantástico is attributed with introducing innovative instructional and educational ideas to the San Francisco Bay Area tango community.

--History of Tango Fantástico Class Structure--

Starting in 2016 Tango Fantástico is introducing a new class format that encapsulates the current situation, the need for students to integrate and excel in a friendly environment conducive to learning.

“PROGRESSIVE”

…..and I thought to myself, how about a two hour session of ever increasing technical difficulty, providing every dancer an opportunity to push their individual skills to achieve their personal best: A single two hour class of continuous education in Argentine Tango. As the name suggests, the format will be one of progressive training, steadily increasing dissociative skills. The concept is one of continuous education: Incorporating new students with experienced dancers but providing the opportunity for each to achieve progressively more challenging skills through exposure to increasing complexities of the dance.

Novices and Beginners are encouraged to attend the first hour as participating students, enjoy moving with more experienced dancers and making new acquaintances while acquiring a solid foundation. In addition, all beginners are invited to watch the second hour to see how a fundamental move they have learned is applied in more complex situations. All classes will start with a few drills and exercises to focus the mind and prepare the body for dance. Fundamental moves will be studied to provide a foundation from which the more complex aspects will be explored.

All students are required to start at the beginning of the Progressive class. Elements of the first hour will determine a student’s technical acuity and suitability to continue into the more advanced portion. At approximately the one hour mark the teacher will ask the less technically skilled dancers to leave the floor. Those remaining will be attempting what at first may seem impossible, such is the motivation to acquire a higher skill set.  Reward is found in personal achievement.

…….progress will be made!

Class Fee structure:  The fundamental portion of the class carries a reduced cost of $10.00*. The full Progressive class is $20.00*. Everyone stays for the first hour. From then on I may ask a student to withdraw based on the technical skill set they have demonstrated. This should not be construed as a criticism or personal attack. It is merely a precautionary step to protect the welfare of students with a higher skill set. A lack of technical skills is where injuries can occur. The technically untrained dancer cannot perceive the potential for inuring their partner, but I can distinguish these elements and make decisions that will keep everyone challenged at their technical level of excellence.

*Prices subject to change – eventually.

All group tango classes are focused on building skills not steps!

FASTTRACK for Beginners

The FASTTRACK... A 12 week intensive curriculum in Fundamentals for beginners.  Enjoy this focused, steady growth curriculum to prepare them for the Tango social scene.

Each week learn new skills and applications, and add them to moves from prior weeks - build a vocabulary of steps to use in multiple combinations.  Success comes from dedication and practice. Start at the beginning and stay the course.

INTERMEDIO  for Continuing Dancers

Intermedio provides increasing challenges building on a strong foundation.  Individual achievement varies but 6 months to1 year of continuous training in fundamentals should achieve the technical proficiency necessary for this class.  Expand your tango vocabulary and work on transitions as this class introduces more complex moves: Sacada, Parada, Barrida, Boleo, Gancho and Enrosque... and more!

TANGO SEDUCCION for Beginners & Returning Students

An intensive workshop style class in Fundamentals for beginners and returning dancers. Classes are continuous (not a series) and designed to train students to achieve fluid movement, core control, axis, balance, frame and dissociation, through intention and invitation.

TANGO APASIONADO for Continuing Dancers

Enjoy a focused intermediate workshop that introduces new moves and incorporates them into familiar sequences. Filled with information Tango Apasionado cultivates immediate results. A thorough knowledge of Fundamentals is required as intermediate movements can only be successfully achieved from a solid foundation.

Tango Fantastico class levels, qualifications and evaluation:

To preserve the integrity of current Tango Fantástico students' learned classical technique, students transferring from other regions are asked to start out by attending fundamentals classes.  Both Fundamentos and Tango Seduccion are for beginners and transitioning students.

Students will be evaluated while being introduced to the particular technique taught by Tango Fantástico.  Once the student demonstrates the physical ability to adequately perform the skills taught in fundamentals they will be invited to advance to Intermediate I.  The same process of training and evaluation of skills will provide for advancement into Intermediate II and ultimately Advanced.

All students are encouraged to continue to take as many classes at lower levels as they can, which are offered with a price incentive.  The 'Pay-it-Forward' program provides an inexpensive way to continuously review fundamentals, transitions and basic elements of Tango while welcoming new students into the Tango Fantástico community.

The prerequisite program provides an environment of similarly skilled, qualified and accomplished dancers to study with one another and excel at Tango.